Package handling

ABSTRACT

A resilient plastic container having a box section and lid section formed with equal pluralities of complementary hollows or spaces to hold articles such as eggs and tomatoes and with closure means adapted to snap one into the other, is transported in an open position, lid section first, on a belt conveyor against a depending hook which moves the lid section to an upright position and then slips off while the container moves under a downwardly sloping guide plate under which the lid section is closed on top of the box section. The conveyor as well as the guide plate have slits through which plungers pinch the closure means together while the package is held by stop means helping to align the lid section with the box section.

United States Patent [191. Hordijk [451 Mar. 27, 1973 PACKAGE HANDLING [75] Inventor; Adrianus Hordijk,

Netherlands [73] Assignee: Hordijk G., Houtindustrie Zoandam N. V., Zoandam, Netherlands 22 Filed: Apr. 5, 1971 21 Appl.No.: 131,138

Zaandam,

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data Primary Examiner--Travis S. McGehee Attomey-J-lolman & Stern ABSTRACT A resilient plastic container having a box section and lid section formed with equal pluralities of complementary hollows or spaces to hold articles such as eggs and tomatoes and with closure means adapted to snap one into the other, is transported in an open position, lid section first, on a belt conveyor against a depending hook which moves the lid section to an upright position and then slips off while the container moves under a downwardly sloping guide plate under which the lid section is closed on top of the box section. The conveyor as well as the guide plate have slits through which plungers pinch the closure means together while the package is held by stop means helping to align the lid section with the box section.

3Claims,1DrawingFigure PACKAGE HANDLING BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION receiving fruit, eggs, or like articles, and in which I method one empty half-section is pivoted from a position in which it is co-planar with the other half-section containing the articles, to a position in which it overlies said other section, to which it is subsequently attached by snap fastening means.

PRIOR ART In this manner of closing packages of the above kind, difficulties have hitherto been encountered. Due to the resiliency of the material of the package, which in mechanical packing processes is generally conveyed with the hinged-together sides extending in the OBJECTS AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is accordingly one object of the present invention to. provide a method which obviates the above drawbacks inherent in conventional methods, and ensures a high production of'properly closed packages.

According to the invention, there is provided a method of closing a package of slightly resilient material of the kind having two half-sections hinged'together on one side, each of the half-sections having complementary portions of a plurality of compartments for receiving articles subject to breakage or damage, such as fruit and eggs, in which method one empty half-section is pivoted from a position in which it is co-planar with the other half-section containing thearticles, to a position in which it overlies said other section, to which it is subsequently attached by snap means, characterized in that the package is advanced in a direction transverse to said side with the empty half-section in leading position to abut against a hook-shaped lower end of a pivoting arm for causing said empty half-section to pivot upwardly while said arm pivots along with it, after which the package is continuously advanced I further under a guide plate sloping downwardly in the direction of advance for lowering said empty half-section on to said other half-section.

In this way the guide plate engages the outer surface of the empty half-section in the upright position of the latter. As the package is advanced further the empty half-section is pivoted downwardly and the hookshaped end of the pivoting arm is released from the free edge of the-empty half-section opposite the hingedly connected side. The pivoting arm pivots back to its downwardly depending position and can thus engage the corresponding edge of the empty half-section of the next package. Owing to the action of the hook-shaped end on the package, the latter is oriented with its leading edge and hence with the hinged-together sides of the two halves practically truly perpendicular to the direction of movement. The snapfastening means of the two half-sections are thus properly juxtaposed. De-

pending on the kind of snap fastening means provided on the halfsections, the snapping action may be actuated by the guide plate.

In most cases, however, the vertical pressure required to effect the snapping action is greater than .can be exercised by the guide plate alone, especially because the friction between the package and the guide plate would become so high as to interfere with the transport of the package. A movable guide plate is not desirable either, because so long as the two half-sections have not yet been connected together, the accu rately registered snap fastening means could become misaligned through movements of the guide plate.

In a further elaboration of the method according to the invention it is accordingly proposed, according to a preferred embodiment, that the package is stopped under the lower end of the'guide plate against stop means horizontally centering the package, and thereby snapped shut through the exercise of vertical pressure, and subsequently discharged by the stop means being moved out of the path of movement of the package.

The invention further relates to apparatus for carrying out the method described above. According to the invention, such an apparatus is characterized by a belt conveyor comprising a plurality of spaced parallel horizontal conveyor belts, a freely pivotabledepending pivoting arni terminating just short of said belts and having atits lower end a hook-shaped portion opening against the direction of transport of the belt, and by a stationary guide plate consisting of a plurality of stripscorresponding with the belts and sloping downwardly in the direction of movement in a slight curve'from a point adjacent to the extreme point of the path of movement of the hook in the direction of transport.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention the apparatus further comprises stop means adjacent to the lower end of said guide plate and spaced from the delivery end of the conveyor, said stop means comprising at least one pair of abutment faces for the package, which faces converge in the direction of transport, and compression means located upstream of said stop means, said compression means including plunger means movable toward one another through the interspaces between the conveyor belts and the strips constituting said guide plate, for action on corresponding zones of the respective upper and lower half-sections of a package.

The invention finally relates to a package comprising two half-sections hinged togetheralong one side and each having complementary portions of compartments for receiving articles to be packed and each provided with snap fastening means, the package being closed by the method described above and/or employing theapparatus described.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The preferred embodiment of the invention will be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying diagrammatic drawing, in which the sole FIGURE is a longitudinal sectional view, partly in elevation, of an apparatus according to the invention.

, 3 DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODMENT Referring to the drawing, reference numerals l, 2, 3 and 4'indicate four packages in successive stages of the package closing operation, The packages have been made by deep-drawing, in the condition in which package 1 is 'shown, from thin, transparent, slightly resilient, thermoplastic synthetic resin material. The packages each consist of two half-sections, indicated by reference numerals 5, 6 in package 1 and by 15, 16 in package 2. The half-sections are hinged together by a central strip 7, 17. Each half-section is provided with two rows defining six complementary portions of 'compartments receiving tomatoes 8. In the position in which packages 3 and 4 are shown, twelve tomatoes are contained 'in the twelve compartments of the package.

I Centrally of-the rows of six compartments, the

package is provided with a score line. to provide for easy sub-division of the package into two portions con- 1 transversely'to the plane of drawing, so that there are interspaces between the belts The packages bear on the belts with the bottoms of the compartment portions of the filled half-section, and in the position shown'for package 1 also withthe bottoms of the compartment portions of the empty half-section.

Pivotable about a stationary, horizontal shaft 13 is a pivoting arm 12 which at its lower end 14 is formed in the shape of a hook capable of engaging under and behind the free leading edge, on'the right-hand side in the drawing, of the empty half-section 6. The free edge is engaged, in the embodiment 1 shown, practically throughout its length. Because the package is transported from position 1 in the direction of arrow A, arm 12 pivots in the direction of arrow B to the dotted position 12', while half-section 6 is pivoted upwardly to position 16 as shown for package 2 by hook 14.

Arm 12 is of such length relative to the width of the half-sections, measured in the direction of transport, that in position 12 it is virtually horizontal when,as shown for package 2, half-section 16 is in the upright position. i

.Pivoting arm 12 is light enough for it to swivel upwardly in the direction of arrow B for moving an empty half-section upwardly without slippage of the. belts relative to the bottoms of the compartments filled with tomatoes.

Indicated by reference numeral 18 is a guide plate composed of a plurality of strips corresponding in number to the conveyor belts .of conveyor 11, said strips being located in side-by -side relationship trans verse to the plane of drawing. From a point just to the right of, slightly below, position 14' of the hook 14, the strips of the guide plate 18 slope downwardly tothe right in the drawing, slightly curved, so that package 2, when moved .further to the right in the direction of arrow A, will be in transit to occupy position 3. During this movement, the hook 14 has slipped ofl the free edge of the empty half-section, and arm 12 will pivot back to its original position 12.

In the position shown for package 3, the package has come to a standstill against abutment members 20 of a stop device generally designated by reference numeral 19. The abutment members are shown in fully drawn lines in the position in which they are out of the path of movement of the packages over conveyor 11. The active,- lowered position of the abutment members is shown dotted at 20'. In that position, pairs of upright faces of the abutment members, which converge horizontally in the direction of transport A, act on the upper portions of the outer walls of the leading compartment of the package. If necessary an abutment plate may be provided under the members 20 for maintaining strip 7( 17) of the package in the desired properly vertical position. Each time when a package approaches the right-hand end of guide plate 18, as viewed in the drawing, the abutment members are in the dotted position 20', so that the package comes to a stand-still against them while being horizontally centered, with thetwo half-sections in properly registered superposed relationship. If so desired or required an additional, similar stop device may be operable from below, which may be extendable upwardly and retractable downwardly between the belts of conveyor 11.

In the arrested position shown for package 3', the conveyor belts slip under the package. In this position, a compression device generally indicated by 21 is operated for a short time to cause the push button means 9 and 10 to snap fast by means of plungers 22 and 23, respectively operating from above and from below. For that purpose the push button means. are spaced on the edges of the respective half-sections corresponding to the interspaces between the belts of conveyor 11, so that plungers 22 and 23, which are actuated hydraulically or pneumatically from cylinders 24 and 25 equipped with piston, piston rods, and transmission mechanisms as shown in the drawing, can operate in the interspaces between the belts of conveyor 1 1 and between the strips of guide plate 18. The package is then firmly closed and, owing to the abutment members 20 being rapidly moved upwards, is carried further to the position shown for package 4, whence it can be removed from the conveyor, for example, transferred to stacking or packing equipment.

It will be clear that many modifications of the embodiment described before and shown in the accompanying drawing, are possible without departing from the scope of the invention.

I claim 1. An apparatus for closing a package of slightly resilient material of the type having two-half sections hinged together on one side, each half section having a free edge provided with complemental snap fastening means, each half section having complementary portions defining a plurality of compartments for receiving articles subject to damage or breakage such asfruit or eggs in which one empty half section is pivoted from a position in which it is co-planar with the other half sec tion containing the articles to a position in which it overlies the other section to which it is subsequently attached by the snap fastening means, comprising conveying means along which the package is advanced in a direction transverse to said side, an arm freely pivotable about a horizontal axis having a lower end terminating adjacent the conveying means, said lower end having a hook-shaped portion opening against the direction of movement of the conveying means, the free edge of the empty half section having the snap fastening means being adapted -to abut against the hook-shaped portions, whereby thehook-shaped portion engages under and behind the free edge so that movement of the package causes the arm and hence the empty half section to pivot upwardly away from the conveying means to a position substantially perpendicular to the half section containing the articles, a stationary guide path positioned beyond said am viewed in the direction of movement of the conveying means noted above the conveying means and having a portion sloping downwardly in the direction of movement of the conveying means serving to move the empty half section downwardly to a position in which it overlies the other half section, and means following said stationary guide plate operative to interconnect the snap fastening-means of said free edges to secure the half sections together.

2. An apparatus for closing a package of slightly resilient material of the type having two half-sections, each section having a free edge provided with comple mental snap fastening means, each of the half sections having complementary portions defining a plurality of compartments for receiving articles subject to damage or breakage such as fruitand eggs in which one empty half section is pivoted from a position in which it is coplanar with the other half Section containing the articles to a position in which it overlies the other half section to which it is subsequently attached by the snap fastening means comprising a belt conveyor defined by a plurality of spaced parallel horizontal conveyor belts, a depending pivoting arm freely pivotable about a horizontal axis and having a lower end terminating just short of said belts said lower end having a hook-shaped portion opening against the direction of transport of the belt, the free edge of the empty half section being adapted to abut against said hook-shaped portion whereby the hook-shaped portion engages under and behind the free edge so that movement of the package swings the arm and hence the empty half section upi wardly to a position substantially perpendicular to the other half section, a stationary guide plate located above the conveyor belts, said guide plate consisting of a pluralitytof strips corresponding .in number with the belts and sloping downwardly in the direction of movement in a slight curve from a point adjacent to the extreme point of the path of movement of the hook in the direction of transport serving to move the empty half section from its perpendicular position to a position overlying the other half section, and means to interconnect the snap fastening means to secure said half sections together.

3. An apparatus for closing a package of slightly resilient material of the type having two half sections hinged together on one side, each section having a free edge 1 provided with complemental snap fastening means, each of the half sections having complementary portions defining a plurality of compartments for receiving articles subject to damage or breakage such as fruit and eggs in which one empty half section is pivoted from a position in which is is co-planar with the other half section containing the articles to a position in which it overlies the other section to which it is subsequently attached by the snap fastening means, comprising a belt conveyor defined by a plurality of spaced parallel horizontal conveyor belts, a depending arm freely pivotable about a horizontal axis and having a lower end terminating just short of said belts, said lower end having a hook-shaped portion opening against the direction of transport of the belt, the free edge of the empty half section being adapted to abut against said hook-shaped portion whereby the hook-shaped portion engages under and behind the free edge so that movement of the package swings the arm and hence the empty half section upwardly to a position substantially perpendicular to the other half section a stationary guide. plate consisting of a plurality of strips corresponding in number with the belts, said strips sloping downwardly in the direction of movement in a slight curve from a point adjacent to the extreme point of the path of movement of the hook-shaped portion in the direction of transport serving to move the empty half section from its perpendicular position to a position means, said compression means including plunger means movable toward one another through the interspaces between the conveyor belts and theistrips constituting said guide plate, for action on corresponding zones of the respective upper and lower half-sections of a package. 

1. An apparatus for closing a package of slightly resilient material of the type having two-half sections hinged together on one side, each half section having a free edge provided with complemental snap fastening means, each half section having complementary portions defining a plurality of compartments for receiving articles subject to damage or breakage such as fruit or eggs in which one empty half section is pivoted from a position in which it is co-planar with the other half section containing the articles to a position in which it overlies the other section to which it is subsequently attached by the snap fastening means, comprising conveying means along which the package is advanced in a direction transverse to said side, an arm freely pivotable about a horizontal axis having a lower end terminating adjacent the conveying means, said lower end having a hook-shaped portion opening against the direction of movement of the conveying means, the free edge of the empty half section having the snap fastening means being adapted to abut against the hook-shaped portions, whereby the hook-shaped portion engages under and behind the free edge so that movement of the package causes the arm and hence the empty half section to pivot upwardly away from the conveying means to a position substantially perpendicular to the half section containing the articles, a stationary guide path positioned beyond said arm viewed in the direction of movement of the conveying means noted above the conveying means and having a portion sloping downwardly in the direction of movement of the conveying means serving to move the empty half section downwardly to a position in which it overlies the other half section, and means following said stationary guide plate operative to interconnect the snap fastening means of said free edges to secure the half sections together.
 2. An apparatus for closing a package of slightly resilient material of the type having two half-sections, each section having a free edge provided with complemental snap fastening means, each of the half sections having complementary portions defining a plurality of compartments for receiving articles subject to damage or breakage such as fruit and eggs in which one empty half section is pivoted from a position in which it is co-planar with the other half Section containing the articles to a position in which it overlies the other half sEction to which it is subsequently attached by the snap fastening means comprising a belt conveyor defined by a plurality of spaced parallel horizontal conveyor belts, a depending pivoting arm freely pivotable about a horizontal axis and having a lower end terminating just short of said belts said lower end having a hook-shaped portion opening against the direction of transport of the belt, the free edge of the empty half section being adapted to abut against said hook-shaped portion whereby the hook-shaped portion engages under and behind the free edge so that movement of the package swings the arm and hence the empty half section upwardly to a position substantially perpendicular to the other half section, a stationary guide plate located above the conveyor belts, said guide plate consisting of a plurality of strips corresponding in number with the belts and sloping downwardly in the direction of movement in a slight curve from a point adjacent to the extreme point of the path of movement of the hook in the direction of transport serving to move the empty half section from its perpendicular position to a position overlying the other half section, and means to interconnect the snap fastening means to secure said half sections together.
 3. An apparatus for closing a package of slightly resilient material of the type having two half sections hinged together on one side, each section having a free edge provided with complemental snap fastening means, each of the half sections having complementary portions defining a plurality of compartments for receiving articles subject to damage or breakage such as fruit and eggs in which one empty half section is pivoted from a position in which is is co-planar with the other half section containing the articles to a position in which it overlies the other section to which it is subsequently attached by the snap fastening means, comprising a belt conveyor defined by a plurality of spaced parallel horizontal conveyor belts, a depending arm freely pivotable about a horizontal axis and having a lower end terminating just short of said belts, said lower end having a hook-shaped portion opening against the direction of transport of the belt, the free edge of the empty half section being adapted to abut against said hook-shaped portion whereby the hook-shaped portion engages under and behind the free edge so that movement of the package swings the arm and hence the empty half section upwardly to a position substantially perpendicular to the other half section a stationary guide plate consisting of a plurality of strips corresponding in number with the belts, said strips sloping downwardly in the direction of movement in a slight curve from a point adjacent to the extreme point of the path of movement of the hook-shaped portion in the direction of transport serving to move the empty half section from its perpendicular position to a position overlying the other half section, stop means adjacent to the lower end of said guide plate and spaced from the delivery end of the conveyor, said stop means comprising at least one pair of abutment faces for the package, which faces converge in the direction of transport, and compression means being located upstream of said stop means, said compression means including plunger means movable toward one another through the interspaces between the conveyor belts and the strips constituting said guide plate, for action on corresponding zones of the respective upper and lower half-sections of a package. 